Certification

Eligibility

Determining eligibility is an important step to take before registering your project for assessment under Green Star – Design & As Built. It is important to note that registration does not guarantee certification. No project will be certified if it is deemed ineligible against the Eligibility Criteria current at the time of registration or if it does not achieve the relevant number of points for a rating.

Is my project eligible?

At any point in the certification process, project teams can submit an eligibility query free of charge to the GBCA by completing the ‘Project Eligibility Query’.

Eligibility Criteria

All buildings aiming to achieve a Green Star – Design & As Built certified rating are subject to the following eligibility criteria:

Building type

Green Star – Design & As Built is intended to rate new buildings and major refurbishments. The majority of building types are eligible to be rated including mixed use developments comprising of more than one BCA space use classification. Parking garages (BCA Class 7a and 10) are ineligible to achieve a Green Star – Design & As Built certified rating.The Green Star – Design & As Built rating tool is also equipped to rate a group of single dwelling BCA Class 1 homes (such as a retirement village) however if you are interested in rating a single detached dwelling please contact the GBCA to discuss further.

Timing of submission for certification

All projects registered for Green Star – Design & As Built must seek to achieve an As Built certified rating and have the option of also seeking to achieve a Design Review certified rating. The Design Review certified rating is not a stand alone certification, rather it is as an interim step towards the As Built certification.

Design Review certified rating

Submissions for a Design Review certified rating can be lodged early in the design process and as soon as the required evidence is available. This is possible to be lodged at the time of the design brief or design development period.

As Built certified rating

Submissions for an As Built certified rating can be lodged following the project reaching practical completion.

Time Requirements

There are certain timeframes and thresholds that must be adhered with to achieve a certified rating. The following milestones are mandatory for all projects and if any of the following are not met your certified rating will either expire or will be cancelled.

As Built certified rating must be achieved within 24 months of practical completion. This certified rating does not expire.

A project will not be eligible for a Green Star certified rating unless both of these conditional requirements have been met.

Distinct Boundary

To provide a meaningful result and send a clear message to the market, project certification must apply to an area/site that is clearly distinct. Project components are not eligible. Shared building services or amenities such as waste rooms or bicycle facilities do not affect the building’s eligibility.

Other requirements

Further requirements are set out in the Certification Agreement; please refer to the GBCA website for more detailed information.

It is the responsibility of the Applicant to comply with all legal requirements in respect of their project (e.g. BCA requirements or Occupational Health & Safety requirements).

*Please note this document will undergo minor refinements over the next few weeks.

Certification Process

Registering a project for Green Star – Design & As Built is a commitment to achieving an As Built certification, with an optional Design Review.

Design Review assessment

The Design Review assessment is offered as a voluntary option for Green Star - Design & As Built ratings. The Design Review Assessment is intended to be submitted at the Development Application stage, and will assess the building attributes allowing the design team to focus on sustainability at the earliest possible stage in the design process.

As Built assessment

The As Built assessment confirms that the commitments and targets set at the Design Review stage have been delivered.

New Generation Assessment process

We’ve simplified and improved the assessment process for New Generation Rating Tools to make it more efficient, more effective and to help achieve better outcomes.

There are two methods of assessment used in the certification process.

Core assessment: Information provided in the Submission Template is reviewed for compliance.

Comprehensive assessment: Information provided in the Submission Template as well as supporting documentation is assessed for compliance.

The diagram below outlines the stages at which each method of assessment is used.

Determining Compliance

Once assessed, Criteria claimed will either be:

Awarded

Awarded – minor non-compliance: Insignificant errors identified within the submission, and the points are still awarded.

Not Awarded – major non-compliance: Significant errors identified within the submission, and the points cannot be awarded.

Assessor Interaction

The Assessor Interaction process has been introduced to the Green Star certification process with the aim of facilitating more productive communication between the third party Green Star Certified Assessors and the project teams engaged to undertake a Green Star submission. Opening up the communication for both the Assessors and the project team will improve the quality of the Green Star assessment experience for all involved. A GBCA representative will always be present at any Assessor Interaction between the Assessor and the project contact (usually the GSAP).

The Assessor Interaction process is an opportunity for a project contact to discuss with the Certified Assessor comments in the results, or project subtlety not easily conveyed with submission documentation, and if the usual processes do not adequately facilitate clarity of documentation requirements for the project team. Please note that the Assessor Interaction is not used in place of a submission. Documentation for assessment must still be provided within the submission.

The Assessor Interaction process may be held one month prior to Round 1, and/or within one month of the Round 1 assessment results having been sent. The opportunity to conduct a meeting at other stages of the certification process may be available at the discretion of the GBCA.

If you would like to discuss setting up a meeting for your project please contact your project Case Manager for more details.

Certification Fees

A certification fee applies to projects pursuing Green Star assessment and certification. The certification fee for Green Star – Design & As Built is based on the project’s contract value*, and GBCA membership status. To receive the member rate the applicant company must be a member. To become a GBCA member please register your organisation.

* Fees are subject to change without notice.* The project contract value is defined as the dollar value required to complete the works for the entire project, including site works (landscaping, external paving, etc). The following may be excluded when determining total contract value:

Demolition works;

Consultants, design fees, project management fees;

Works outside the site area; and

Buildings or areas within the site that are not being assessed for purposes of Green Star.

Where a number of amenities or services are shared between stages in a larger development, the GBCA expects that the cost apportioned to the rated stage is equivalent to the use that the stage will have of these facilities.

Your Certification fee includes:

When you register your project for certification, you are entitled to one pdf of the Submission Guidelines. Please contact your Case Manager to request this.

Things you need to know:

Once a project is registered there is a no-refund policy.

Projects will not be assessed until payments for all outstanding invoices have been received.

Additional fees

Additional fees that may be incurred as follows:

Certification Agreement

Please be aware that the Agreement is non-negotiable, as it represents the standard terms and conditions upon which the GBCA is able to provide a voluntary certification service to the Applicant.

*Please do not print and sign this document as it is a draft. Once you have completed the registration application online your Case Manager will issue a copy specifically for your project.

*Please note this document will undergo minor refinements over the next few weeks.